95 
from endeavouring to save themselves, they remained under the 
blows of the hunter, and their last efforts were devoted to the pre- 
servation of their little ones. ... A generous devotion of which 
the history of animals offers so many examples, and which we are 
often forced to envy them! 
During our stay on Bernier Isle, we captured several of these 
young kangaroos; but the majority, doubtless too feeble, did not 
long survive their captivity. Only one endured and throve; this 
animal ate bread with pleasure, and especially appreciated water 
sweetened with sugar which was given it. The last taste seems ex- 
tremely curious, since, on the barren island inhabited by these ani- 
mals, every species of fresh water is completely lacking. This young 
kangaroo was accidentally killed at Timor ; we did not regret its. 
loss so much, since as we had only one individual we could not 
hope to naturalise it in Europe; but this first attempt conclusively 
proves that the species will accustom itself to captivity; and I re- 
peat that it would be a great acquisition to our farm yards. 
If we except certain useless or disagreeable kinds of which we 
shall not stop to speak, all animals are rare on the sterile soil with 
which we are dealing; the class of birds, for example, is only repre- 
sented by melancholy cormorants, by several species of noddies,, 
petrels, gulls, sea-eagles and oyster-catchers, which, far from man 
and his works, multiply on these arid rocks. The division of land- 
birds is only represented by fly-catchers and shrikes; we found, 
however, a beautiful species of tit 1 with a blue breast, which 
deserves more particular mention. 
The Reptiles comprise only a species of skink 2 (Semens 
Tropisurus , n. sp.), one of the largest of this genus, whose very 
short broad tail gives it the appearance, at first sight, of having two 
heads; a beautiful species of Tupinambis ( T. Endrachtensis, n sp.) 
from 12 to 16 decimetres long (4-5ft.), a Gecko (Gecko Dorreensis, 
n. sp.) from 10-13 cms. (4-5 inches). An account of these species, 
all three new to science, will be given in the zoological account of 
New Holland, with all the details which ought to be presented. 
No place in the world perhaps produces so many fish as the 
great Sharks Bay; but this abundance of fish is not found on the 
coasts of Bernier Island. It is in the depths of the neighbouring 
harbours that these animals seek the calm and food which they re- 
quire; we shall return to them at another time; it is sufficient to ob- 
serve that our fishing yielded very few, and that our collections of 
this group were increased by scarcely ten new species. 
In the midst of the tumbled rocks of Bernier Island live dif- 
ferent species of Octopus, some of which reach a very large size ; 
I saw several which were not less than 9 or even 13 decimetres (3 or 
4 feet) long when their arms were extended. 
' Malurus lamberti, Vig. and Horsf. 
3 Trachysaums rugosus, Gray. (Stump-tailed Lizard). 
